Rotary, arcuate and linear index cards holders have been available for a number of years. The cards for these holders typically have one or two T-shaped notches in the bottom edge to engage ribs in the card holders. The index mechanism may have these ribs oriented linearly, or they may be on a spool. The latter are commonly sold under the trademark ROLODEX.
These index cards come in a variety of sizes, typically four sizes: Small, 21/8".times.4"; Medium, 3".times.5"; Large, 4".times.6"; and X-large, 5".times.8". Also, some of the cards have a raised tab along one of the upper edges to that the card is "flagged" as compared to other cards. The cards are of varying thickness and material. They can not be mailed by themselves, principally because their notched bottom edges would become torn or otherwise damaged in mail handling. In addition, those notches would be caught in and engaged with other mail, and become lost, delayed or mis-delivered. Further, there is no place on the cards to put postage, an address, and instructional or promotional information, while at the same time leaving space available for the information about the sender that is to be put on the index card itself.
Many companies find it helpful to provide their customers or potential customers with pre-printed index cards to save the recipient the time of properly inputting information on the cards. When that is left to the customer, often incorrect or obsolete information is placed on the cards. In addition, many companies find it of great help to flag their cards with bright colors or other devices so that they are easy to find.
Mail costs continue to escalate, not only as to the increased postage rates, but also in the handling machinery and the labor to collate, merge, stuff and address envelopes containing promotional material.
The current usual way to provide these index cards is to mail them along with some type of a promotional letter. Accordingly, the letter must be prepared, the index card prepared, the two items collated and merged for stuffing in an envelope, the envelope addressed and the postage applied. In addition, the postage required is that for a first class envelope as compared to a postcard, the differential of which is currently 8c. For companies having large mailings upon change of address, addition of staff, opening of new offices etc., that postage differential is very substantial. Further, the current need to include index cards with a full letter increases that cost differential substantially, considering the additional costs of the promotional letter, the envelope, the printing of both, and the collating, merging and stuffing costs.
Ristuccia U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,056 shows use of an index card formatting device having various slits, peel off adhesive strips, and window frame type holes for securing business cards thereto as a sales device to show prospective customers what their index card will look like when printed with their business card information. The window embodiment of FIGS. 6-11 is used as a formatting device or jig for the printer. Also shown incidentally in FIG. 15 (but not claimed) is preprinted rotary file index card with all margins defined by perforations and completely inset within the margins of what is described as a card "for example the size of a post card." This has the aforementioned difficulties, namely that the vertical right side perforation weakens the card so that if it were mailed (which is not disclosed) it could become bent in mailing. Likewise the complete, all around perfing has the disadvantage of the potential for the index card becoming separated (loose) during mailing, or the flap between the T slots engaging other mail or handling equipment thereby becoming damaged, delayed or lost in transit. The location and orientation of the card apparently does not provide sufficient room for an address and postage.
Armstrong U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,397 shows business information carried in a field the size of a standard business card (2".times.31/2") on a larger 3".times.5" card. Multiple perforations, slots and holes are provided so the card may be used with any of several different card filing systems by tearing off the material that is excess for a particular filing system. Personal delivery of the compound "universal" card is disclosed (col. 2, lines 5-8).
Guttman U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,616,612 and 2,708,068 disclose a card, insertable in an envelope, for mailing a credit card which forms a separable corner of the insert card. The credit card portion is defined by perforations (the '612 patent) or one or more holes (the '068 patent) in the lower right corner of the insert. That credit card portion is also covered by a transparent protective sleeve which is secured to the insert card. The insert card is then stuffed in a special window-envelope so the name and address on the credit card is visible, saving addressing the envelope. The inserted card is not mailed by itself.
Morgan U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,816 shows a postal card-sized business mailing piece of laminated construction having a peel-off sticker on the back side. The sticker carries new address, phone number, etc. information.
Zumbrunn in U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,241 and Murrell in U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,633 show letter envelopes and mailing postcards for mailing photographs inserted or adhered thereto, which mailing device also serves as a stand for the photograph.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simple manner of getting index cards into the hands of customers and potential customers that is less handling and postage cost sensitive.